Broken
by LanaLang79
Summary: SEQUEL TO IN A MOMENT! Troy and Sharpay's plans for college seem to be perfect, but then Troy changes his mind suddenly. As he heads in a different direction, Sharpay couldn't be more devastated. Especially when his fate comes into question. Troypay!
1. Trailer

**DISCLAIMER - I do not own HSM or anything related to it! This disclaimer goes for all chapters of this story!**

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**Hey! Here is the trailer for the 'long awaited' (lol) sequel to In a Moment! I was going to do it sooner, but fanfiction wouldn't let me upload any documents! It was driving me nuts, LOL! Anyway, here is this and for those who read my story, The Way the Wind Blows, I should have a new chapter of that up soon! Please R&R!**

**Enjoy!**

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_Wake up to a sunny day  
Not a cloud up in the sky,_

Shows Sharpay and Troy walking in a small park, their hands laced together.

**Troy and Sharpay were finally happy. Everything was planned out. They were both graduating and heading off to the same college. **

_Then it starts to rain,  
My defenses hit the ground, And they shatter all around.  
So open and exposed._

As their walking, it begins to rain and Troy takes a hold of Sharpay's arm, stopping her.

**But…...could one decision change everything?**

"Sharpay, there's something I need to tell you."

She frowns. "What is it?"

_I found strength in the struggle. Face to face with my trouble._

Troy looks away from her. "I decided not to go to college."

Sharpay shakes her head. "I don't understand. I thought-"

Troy interrupts her abruptly, "I'm going to boot camp…..and then I'm planning to go to Iraq."

_When you're broken in a million little pieces and you're tryin but you can't hold on anymore. Every tear falls down for a reason. Don't you stop believing in your self. _

Shows Sharpay running through the rain, away from Troy.

"Sharpay, please!" Troy yells after her.

_Little girl don't be so blue, I know what you're goin through. Don't let it beat you up. Heaven knows that getting scars only makes you who you are...only makes you who you are._

Shows Sharpay collapsing onto her bed, crying hard.

"Why, Troy? Why do you have to do this?" she yells into her pillow.

_No matter how much your heart is aching, there is beauty in the breaking...yeeeaaaahhh._

**Could this decision decide his fate?**

Shows Sharpay talking on the phone, Ryan is standing behind her.

The phone suddenly clatters to the floor.

"Sharpay, what is it?"

"Troy, he's……"

"He's….what?"

Sharpay begins to cry. "He's MIA."

_When you're broken in a million little pieces and you're tryin but you can't hold on anymore. Every tear falls down for a reason. Don't you stop believing in yourself. _

**Will they ever see each other again?**

Shows Sharpay staring at a picture of Troy.

"Please come back to me, Troy, I need you."

_Better days are gonna find you once again. Every piece will find its place._

_When you're broken in a million little pieces and you're tryin but you can't hold on anymore. Every tear falls down for a reason. Don't you stop believin in your self._

**Starring: Sharpay Evans**

Shows Sharpay running through the rain.

Shows her singing alone in the middle of a stage.

**Troy Bolton**

Shows Troy walking towards the boarding area at an airport.

Shows him ducking as a grenade blows up.

**And Ryan Evans**

Shows him hugging a crying Sharpay.

Shows him watching his sister sing.

**LanaLang79 presents,**

'**BROKEN'**

_**Coming soon to fanfiction!**_

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**So, how does it sound?!? I hope that everyone likes the idea! I probably won't put up the first chapter unless I get at LEAST 20 reviews! So if you want to read more, start reviewing people! LOL! Please review!**

**LanaLang79**

**Disclaimer-**I do not own the song 'Broken'. Thank you!


	2. I Love You

**Hey! I know that I said that I wasn't going to put this up unless I got like 20 reviews, but right now I think that the fanfiction alerts are down. So, I'm just putting this up now.(I'm too impatient to wait. LOL!) Anyway, please R&R!**

**Enjoy!**

**P.S. The song in this chapter -- (BoldTroy, **_ItalicsSharpay, _**_BothTroy and Sharpay_)**

_**Chapter One: I Love You**_

Sharpay entered the building and a smile immediately crossed her face when she caught sight of the small stage.

She, Troy, and Kelsi had taken a summer job at a restaurant called, "Jerry's". They were going to perform on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nights. Sharpay was going to sing, Troy was going to sing and play the guitar, and Kelsi was going to play the baby grand piano that the restaurant had. It was the best summer job anyone could ever ask for. Well, at least that's what Sharpay thought.

"What do you think?" she asked as Troy and Kelsi entered the room behind her.

"Sharpay, we saw it when we came to talk to Mr. Heyden last week," Troy stated, smiling over at his girlfriend.

"I know, but I'm just so excited."

Kelsi shook her head in amusement and walked over to the piano. She ran her hand along the slick, black exterior. "I can't believe I actually get to play this piano three times a week."

It was now Troy and Sharpay's turn to be amused with their friend.

"What time is it?" Sharpay inquired.

"Um," Troy looked down at his watch, "almost 6:30, only half an hour until show time."

"Why did we decide to come this late? We should have gotten here a half hour ago so that we could practice for the show." Sharpay sighed and collapsed onto a nearby chair. "We're going to be horrible."

Troy sat down opposite of her and held her hand. "First of all, we still have time to practice before the show. Second of all, we practiced for two hours at Kelsi's house before coming here. And third, about the being horrible thing, speak for yourself, because I'm going to rock."

This got a smile out of Sharpay and she hugged Troy briefly. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Troy shook his head. "I don't know either. Now, if it makes you feel any better, we'll run through the song a couple of times."

"That would be great, thank you."

"My pleasure," Troy replied before patting her knee and standing up. "Are your parents and your brother coming to see the show?"

Sharpay nodded. "Yup. What about your family?"

Troy frowned slightly. "They, um, they can't make it."

Sharpay's heart went out to her boyfriend. Ever since he had graduated, his parents seemed to almost forget about him. Especially when Troy had told his dad that he wasn't going to play college basketball. Mr. Bolton had really blown up when he heard that and had barely spoken to his son since. And then recently, Troy had found out that his parents were separating. It was like his family was falling apart and there was nothing Troy could do about it.

Sharpay was about to say something, but Troy cut her off.

"Gabriella, Chad, and Taylor are coming," he said, his face brightening.

Sharpay smiled. "Really? That's great! Have you heard from Zeke or Jason?"

"Zeke promised that he'd come next time, he's too busy tonight. And I haven't talked to Jason since graduation, other than a couple e-mails and such."

"Are you guys ready to practice?" Kelsi called from the stage.

"Yeah, we're coming," the couple replied in unison.

* * *

"Okay kids, you're on in about five minutes," Mr. Heyden stated, a smile spreading across his face. "Good luck." 

The three of them returned the smile.

"Thanks, Mr. Heyden," Sharpay said.

"How many times do I have to tell you to call me Jerry?"

"Thanks, Jerry," Troy put in.

Jerry seemed satisfied and gave the three of them a nod, before leaving the room.

"I've got butterflies." Sharpay place her hands over her nervous stomach.

Troy looked over at her. "Really? Mine are more like bats."

Kelsi and Sharpay shared a laugh, while Troy just smiled. He hadn't meant for his comment to be a joke, it really did feel like he had bats in his stomach.

Sharpay peaked around the curtain and peered into the dimly lit room. Her eyes were in search of her family, but they happened to land on Chad, Gabriella, and Taylor first. They moved past them and then soon found her family. She smiled and just happened to catch her brother's eye. A wide grin spread across his face and he mouthed, _good luck. _She nodded and mouthed a thank you in reply, before turning back around. "I see everyone," she stated.

"They're all here?" Kelsi inquired.

"Yup."

Just then Jerry came back into the room. "Well, here it goes. Are you guys ready?"

They were all too nervous to say anything, so they just nodded.

Jerry walked onto the stage and stood at one of the microphones. "Welcome everyone. Tonight, for the first time on this stage, I would like to welcome; Troy Bolton, Sharpay Evans, and Kelsi Nielsen."

He motioned towards the edge of the stage and the three of them emerged from behind the curtain.

The audience clapped until they had taken their spots.

"Thank you." Troy smiled out at the crowd. "The first song that we're going to sing is something that a lot of you will probably be familiar with. It's called, Bless the Broken Road'." Troy began to play on his guitar and Kelsi soon accompanied him on the piano.

"**I set out on a narrow way many years ago  
Hoping I would find true love along the broken road  
But I got lost a time or two  
Wiped my brow and kept pushing through  
I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you"**

"_**Every long lost dream led me to where you are  
Others who broke my heart they were like northern stars  
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms  
This much I know is true  
That God blessed the broken road  
That led me straight to you"**_

"_I think about the years I spent just passing through  
I'd like to have the time I lost and give it back to you  
But you just smile and take my hand  
You've been there you understand  
It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true"_

"_**Every long lost dream led me to where you are  
Others who broke my heart they were like northern stars  
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms  
This much I know is true  
That God blessed the broken road  
That led me straight to you"**_

"**Now I'm just rolling home  
Into my lover's arms"**

"_This much I know is true_  
_That God blessed the broken road_  
_That led me straight to you"_

"_**That God blessed the broken road  
That led me straight to you**_…….."

There voices faded out and everyone in the room began to applaud. Sharpay glanced towards her brother and he gave her a wink, which made a big smile appear on her face. Troy quickly kissed her cheek, before they moved on to the next song.

* * *

Troy, Sharpay, Ryan, Kelsi, Gabriella, Chad, and Taylor walked together down the sidewalk. The first night of performing had gone great and the three guys were now treating the girls to ice cream. 

"You did a great job tonight," Troy whispered to Sharpay as they walked farther ahead of the rest of the group.

Sharpay blushed slightly. "Why thank you. You didn't do too bad yourself."

Troy smiled and kissed the top of her head. "Thanks."

"Are you guys too good to walk back here with us?" Chad called from behind them.

Troy turned around slightly and, with a chuckle, he yelled back, "Yup."

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After everyone finished eating their ice cream, they all headed home in different directions, except for Sharpay, Ryan, and Troy. 

When they reached the Evans' house, Ryan, sensing that the couple wanted to be alone said, "I think I'll be turning in. Bye, Troy."

Troy nodded. "Okay, bye, Ryan."

Once Ryan was inside the house, Troy turned back to Sharpay. "Um, Shar, there's something I want to tell you."

"Yeah? What's that?"

"Well, back when I was in the hospital when we decided to start over, we talked about you saying that you loved me. But, I just realized something……I never said it back."

"Oh, Troy, that's okay. You probably needed time, and I-"

"That's not it, Shar, I…..I do love you. Very, very much and I want you to know that." He paused. "So much has been happening in my life lately, with getting shot, and graduating, and my parents. But, ever since that day, you've been by my side holding my hand. I can't even begin to say how much I appreciate that. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Sharpay's eyes were watering. "I-I don't know what to say," she stuttered.

Troy started to lean forward. "You don't have to say anything."

Their lips met and Sharpay could feel tears from both of their eyes mixing with the kiss. But, neither of them were crying because they were sad, they were crying because they were both so incredibly happy. And neither of them wanted that to change.

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**So, what did my reviewers think of the first chapter?!? I hope that everyone liked it! I might wait a little bit before I put up the next chapter, but I haven't decided. Anyway, please REVIEW! **

**LanaLang79**

**Disclaimer- **I do not own the song, 'Bless the Broken Road'.


	3. Why?

**Hey! Sorry that it has taken me so long to update! I was waiting until the alerts were working again! I hope everyone likes this chapter! Please R&R!**

**Song in this chapter(Troy sings, **_Sharpay sings, _**_Both sing_)**

**Enjoy!**

_**Chapter Two: Why?**_

Sharpay smacked her lips together before admiring her appearance in the mirror. Perfect. She stood from her place at the vanity and made her way out of the bedroom.

When she reached the first floor of the house she found her brother sitting in the living room. "Hey, I'm leaving soon," she informed him.

Ryan glanced at his watch. "Are you going to walk?"

Sharpay nodded. "Yeah, Troy is meeting me here and we're walking together."

"Okay." Ryan blew his sister a kiss from the couch. "Good luck, Shar."

"Thanks, Ryan."

Sharpay exited the house and sat on the porch to wait for her boyfriend. She sighed, not believing that it had been two months since she and Troy had stood there talking. The first time he had told her that he loved her. This thought brought a smile to her face. Just the thought of her wonderful boyfriend brought a smile to her face.

She suddenly jumped when she became aware of Troy standing next to her.

"Hey," he greeted sullenly.

She frowned, noticing his mood. "Hey……Is something wrong?"

"No, why?"

Sharpay paused, but then shook her head. "No reason. Are you ready?"

Troy merely nodded and followed her down the porch steps.

The whole way there, Sharpay kept getting the feeling that Troy had something on his mind. Instead of keeping up with her, he walked slow, dragging behind. When she asked him a question, she would have to repeat it like three or four times before he would actually answer her. What in the world was going on?

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They arrived at the restaurant and found Kelsi already practicing on the piano.

"Hey, guys," she said cheerily.

"Hi," Sharpay replied, trying to match her excitement, but barely succeeding.

"Hi, Kels," Troy greeted quietly. "I'm, uh, I'll be right back."

When he had disappeared from the room, Kelsi gave Sharpay a questioning glance.

"Did you guys have a fight or something?" she asked.

Sharpay shrugged helplessly and sat on the edge of the stage. "I don't know, the whole way here he barely said a word. He's acting really strange and I have no idea why."

"That's weird."

Their conversation was cut off when Jerry entered the room.

"Hey, kids!"

The girls smiled politely. "Hey," they said in unison.

"You know, I've been getting a lot of compliments about you guys and I was wondering, how would you like to work here throughout the year?"

Sharpay glanced at Kelsi and saw that her expression mirrored her own. "Wow, we're flattered, Jerry, but I'm afraid we can't."

"May I ask why not?"

"Well, Troy and I are heading off to New Mexico State University next month."

A grin spread across Jerry's face. "Is that so?"

Sharpay nodded.

He glanced at Kelsi. "Where are you headed, kid?"

A blush slowly appeared on her face. She didn't really like talking to people. "Um….I decided to stay close to home. I'm going to Albuquerque Community College."

"Those are both great schools. I'm very happy for you guys." He glanced around. "Where's Troy."

"He's here somewhere," Sharpay replied.

As if on cue, Troy appeared from the other room.

"Hey, Troy, Sharpay tells me that the two of you are going to college at the state university."

Troy hesitated. "Uh….yeah."

Sharpay's eyebrows furrowed at his response. Why had he sounded so unsure?

"Well, I better let you guys finish setting up. I'll see you later."

"Bye, Jerry," Kelsi called after him.

Sharpay just stared over at her boyfriend.

"What?" he asked dumbly.

"Are you going to tell me what's up with you?"

Troy became uneasy and shifted his feet. "Um…..we should really get set up."

He brushed past her and began helping Kelsi with the microphones.

Sharpay felt tears stinging at her eyes. She really feared what would happen next.

* * *

Sharpay smiled out at the crowd as they began to sing their last song of the night.

"_Every day I pass you by,_

_And I have to wonder why…_

_Why didn't you say good-bye?"_

**--------**

"**I left you I know, **

'**Cause I didn't know how to show,**

**What I truly felt inside my heart."**

Sharpay looked into Troy's crystal blue eyes and found more emotion than she had ever seen there before.

"_**Why, oh why didn't we try?"**_

"_Why didn't I chase after you?"_

"**Why didn't I say good-bye?"**

"_**Why, oh why?"**_

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"**How could I have walked away,**

**From everything you wanted to say?**

**How could I have hurt you so deeply?"**

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"_I haven't forgotten, buy I might forgive,_

_If you can explain why you walked away,_

_Explain why……"_

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"_**Why, oh why didn't we try?"**_

"_Why didn't I chase after you?"_

"**Why didn't I say good-bye?"**

"_**Why, oh why?"**_

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"_**Why, oh why didn't we try?"**_

"_Why didn't I chase after you?"_

"**Why didn't I say good-bye?"**

"_**Why, oh why?"**_

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"_I haven't forgotten……"_

"**But could you forgive?"**

Sharpay could have sworn that Troy's eyes were watering as he finished the song. But, he left the stage too quickly for her to tell for sure. She kept the smile on her face and turned to the audience. "Well, that's it for tonight. I hope you all enjoyed yourselves and I hope that you come back again. We're here every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday until August 24th. Thanks for coming, have a great night!" She made her way off the stage and looked around for Troy. When she couldn't find him, she went back to the stage to help Kelsi clean up.

When they had finished, she waved a good-bye to Kelsi and stepped outside. That's when she found Troy. He was leaning against the outside of the building. "What are you doing out here? I've been looking everywhere for you. Kelsi and I cleaned up all by ourselves."

"I've been out here that long?" He glanced down at his watch. "Oh, I'm sorry, Shar. I guess I lost track of time."

"I guess," Sharpay muttered.

"What's wrong? I said that I was sorry."

"I know, but you just really aren't yourself and you won't tell me why. I want to know what's going on."

Troy sighed and took her hand. "Come on, I need to talk to you."

Sharpay allowed him to lead her down the sidewalk until they reached the park.

Troy sat down on one of the benches and motioned for her to sit next to him and she did so.

"Well?" Sharpay prodded.

"Uh, Shar…..um, I think you should sit down."

Sharpay frowned. "Troy, I am sitting down."

Troy assessed her position and then blushed. "Oh, yeah, sorry."

"Troy, please tell me what's wrong."

"Listen, I need you to listen carefully and please don't say anything until I'm done."

"Uh, okay."

"Well," he laced their hands together and looked into her eyes. "Shar, I decided not to go to New Mexico State."

"What?!? Why not?!?"

"Sharpay, I told you not to say anything until I was done."

"Sorry, I'm just finding that a little hard. What do you mean you're not going?!? We've been planning this for months!"

"I know, but I feel like I'm being maneuvered in a different direction."

"I just don't understand, I thought that-"

"Shar, I want to go to boot camp so that I can go to Iraq."

Sharpay felt all of the color drain from her face. "What?"

"I'm heading off to Virginia for boot camp in two weeks."

Sharpay then felt anger flood through her. "You mean you already signed up?!?"

Troy merely nodded.

"I can't believe you'd do something so drastic without even talking to me first. How could you?!?"

"Sharpay, I-"

Sharpay ripped her hand from his grasp and stood up. "Don't, Troy, please just don't."

"Come on, Shar."

Troy reached up to touch her arm, but she jerked away.

Both of them suddenly felt raindrops beginning to fall.

Sharpay was glad. This would hide the tears that were now streaming down her face. "Troy, I thought you really cared about me……..I thought that you wanted to be with me."

"I did, I mean I do," Troy said quickly.

"Troy, you're going all the way across the country. Right now it's a little hard to see you're devotion." She started to back away from him.

Troy instantly stood up to grab her. "Shar, don't do this."

"Let go of me, Troy," she practically hissed, tearing her arm out of his grip. "I……I don't want to see you ever again." She turned and hurried away from him as the rain began to pour down.

"Sharpay, please!" Troy pleaded.

Even though she heard his call, she kept on going. And as she did so, she could feel her heart breaking in two.

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**Yes, that last part was different then how I did it in the trailer, but it worked better this way. **

**The song in this chapter was written by _iliveinadreamworld_ on **

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**LanaLang79**


	4. Confusing Pain

**I'm FINALLY updating! Sorry that it's taken so long! I've been VERY busy! Please R&R! **

**Enjoy!**

_**Chapter Three: Confusing Pain**_

Ryan heard the front door slam shut as he retrieved a bottle of water from the fridge. He turned around just in time to see his sister rush past the doorway. He frowned and exited the kitchen.

When he reached Sharpay's bedroom door he turned the handle and cautiously pushed it open. Sharpay was sprawled across her bed and he could hear her sobbing into her pillow. His eyebrows knit together in confusion and he walked over to sit on the bed. He laid a hand on his sister's back. "Shar?"

Sharpay's head turned and Ryan caught the pain that rested in her chocolate colored eyes.

"Shar, what's wrong?"

She shook her head, leaning towards her brother. "Everything," she said, her tears still coming quickly.

Ryan didn't question her; he just wrapped her in his arms and let her cry on his shoulder until it was all out of her. Even though he really wanted to know what was wrong. Sharpay didn't get upset over little things, so it must have been something big. And seeing that she had just been with Troy, he figured that it must have something to do with his sister's boyfriend. He kissed the top of her head and sighed.

When her tears finally slowed to a stop, she pulled away.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" Ryan asked, concern etched in his voice.

Sharpay nodded slowly. "I-It's Troy."

Ryan stayed silent, deciding not to push his sister. She would continue when she was ready. And she did.

"He decided not to go to college with me. He……he's going to boot camp instead." Her voice broke as she said the last part and her hand went to her face, covering her mouth.

"What?" Ryan asked, aware of the disbelief in his voice.

"A-And he's…..he's leaving in two weeks."

Ryan felt an urge to protect his twin from the pain that she was suffering. "And he's just telling you now?!?" He could feel his anger boiling.

Sharpay nodded, not noticing how her brother had raised his voice. "I can't believe he didn't tell me sooner."

"I can," Ryan muttered, but his sister caught his words and her head swung up to meet his gaze.

"What do you mean?"

"I knew that he would do this."

"You knew he would go to boot camp?" She asked, confusion evident in her voice.

"No, I knew that Troy would hurt you. He just strikes me as a careless kind of person."

"Ryan, Troy isn't careless. He's had a rough couple of months, he probably meant to tell me, but didn't get the chance."

"Shar, what's going on? A minute ago you were saying that you were upset that he didn't tell you sooner and now you're saying you understand why he didn't tell you sooner?"

Sharpay actually surprised herself by standing up for Troy the way that she had. How did she feel? Was she mad at Troy? Or was she just so upset that she was making herself mad? She let out an audible sigh and fell back onto her bed so she was lying down again.

"I'm sorry," Ryan said quietly, glancing down at his sister.

"No, I'm sorry. You're right. I just don't know what I want."

* * *

Troy kicked his foot through the deep puddle. He didn't even pay attention to the fact that he was dripping wet and getting even wetter by the minute. The rain poured down around him and he didn't even give it a second thought. He felt as though his world had crashed. Had he done the right thing by telling Sharpay after he had signed up for boot camp? Had he even done the right thing by signing up for boot camp in the first place? And the last question that he didn't want to hear himself ask, had he lost Sharpay's love?

He continued to walk listlessly, not really knowing where he was headed. He didn't want to go home, he knew that his mom would still be at work and his dad would either ignore him or scold him for caring so much about a girl in the first place.

A voice broke into his thoughts and he looked up, realizing that he was standing in front of Gabriella's house.

"Troy?" She called from the front door.

"Yeah?"

"What are you doing out there? It's pouring down rain."

He looked around, seeming to notice the rain for the first time. "Oh, um…."

"Why don't you come in? I can get you something warm to drink."

Troy went up the front walk and met her at the door. She ushered him in and told him to wait there while she got him something dry to put on.

She came back carrying gray sweatpants and a white T-shirt. "You're lucky that I wear men's sweatpants sometimes," she said with a small smile.

Once he was cleaned up and dried off, Gabriella got him a cup of hot chocolate and they sat down in the living room.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, what were you doing wandering outside in the rain?"

"What makes you think I was wandering?"

"Well, if you had planned to come and see me in this weather, you probably would have driven."

"I guess you have a point there," he replied, trying to smile, but failing miserably.

She reached out to touch his arm. "What's up?"

Troy looked over at her and noticed the concern in her dark eyes.

"Sharpay and I had a fight…..a big one."

"What about?"

Troy let out an audible sigh. "I told her that I'm not going to go to college with her."

"Why not? You guys have been planning to do that for a while now."

"I know, but I…..I decided that I want to join the army."

Gabriella's eyebrows shot up in obvious surprise. "Wow, what made you decide to do that?"

"I just felt like the direction I was going in wasn't the right one. I wanted to do something that would make me feel….." His voice trailed off.

"Useful," Gabriella finished for him. She had meant it to sound like a question, but it had been more of a statement. She knew that Troy had been trying to find his place for a while now. And she knew that his father had been making him feel pretty useless, so he must want something that would make him feel useful.

"Yeah. Do you understand why this is so important to me?"

Gabriella nodded slowly. "I understand, Troy. If this decision is going to make you feel better about yourself, then I support your decision. I want you to be like you used to be…..happy."

Troy hugged his friend. "Thanks so much, Gabriella. I wish Sharpay would feel the same way."

"I'm sure she does, she's just upset. Give her some time. I know that she'll come around."

* * *

**So, what'd everybody think? Please REVIEW and tell me! PLEASE!**

**LanaLang79**


	5. Wherever We Go

**Hey! WOW, it's been forever since I updated this! I'M SO SORRY! And I DID have this ready a couple days ago, but I was having problems uploading it until today! Anyway, PLEASE R&R!**

**Enjoy!**

_**Chapter Four: Wherever We Go**_

The days flew by in a haze of overwhelming sadness for Sharpay. Troy called more than once every single day and, though she had a longing to see her boyfriend, she just couldn't, so she made Ryan turn him away every time. She could even tell that her loyal twin brother was starting to doubt her decision.

Sharpay had also been skipping the nights at "Jerry's", asking Kelsi to cover for her. She knew that she would have to face everything soon, but right now she was perfectly content with sitting at her window seat and staring out at the drizzle of rain that had been falling from the sky throughout the last couple of days. She found the weather ironic, because it fit her mood perfectly.

And today was like all the others, except that tomorrow was the day she absolutely dreaded. The day where Troy, one of the people she loved most in the world, would move all the way across the country to follow a dream that she wouldn't be sharing with him. This thought brought a whole new set of tears to her eyes. She tried to hold them back by closing her eyes, but the small droplets of water slipped through anyways, wetting her eyelashes and running down her already damp cheeks.

Sharpay slid off of her seat by the window and her feet met the cool wood, causing a shiver to ripple up her spine. She walked over to her vanity, each step feeling like a mile. When she sat down, her wobbly legs thanked her.

After a slight hesitation, she brought her eyes to the mirror. Her eyes were puffy from crying, but everything else about her face looked the same as it had before she had received Troy's news. She let out a deep sigh and ran her hands over all of the make-up items that rested on the surface of the vanity. A small sob escaped her lips when she reached a small bottle of rose-scented perfume that Troy had bought her shortly after they had started dating. Sharpay unscrewed the cap and slowly lifted it to her nose. The scent drifted into her nostrils and she sighed again. With a strong shake of her head she jerked it away from her face and placed it back on the vanity.

Something came to her mind suddenly. Why was she doing acting like Troy was already gone, like she was never going to see him again? That's when it hit her. Troy was leaving the next day and she had spent the last couple weeks avoiding him. If she really loved him like she said she did, she would have spent every minute that she could with him.

Sharpay jumped up and quickly threw on a pair of jeans and a gray hoody. She raced out of her room and was at the bottom of the stairs in no time. As she turned the corner, headed for the front door, she collided with her brother, causing the drink he held to spill all over his T-shirt.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Ryan!" she apologized, her hand covering her mouth in embarrassment.

Ryan shrugged, but eyed her curiously. "Where are you headed in such a hurry?"

Sharpay bit her lip, not wanting to take the time to explain her change of heart. She just wanted to get to Troy and fast. "Um….I forgot that I have to meet Kelsi at "Jerry's" to rehearse."

"But-"

Sharpay didn't hear the rest of Ryan's interjection for she had already bolted out the door and was heading towards her car.

* * *

Troy collapsed onto the cool grass and stared at the orange ball that he had dropped in his lap. The way the ball's lines all connected made him think of life. Everything in life was connected in some way. Line after line ran into each other and they continued on forever, there was no end. He wished his relationship with Sharpay could be like that; that they could be together and love each other forever, never having to worry about falling off of a cliff during the journey. He paused. Was that how it felt to him? Like he was falling off a cliff and couldn't get back up to Sharpay? 

He sighed audibly. That was exactly how it felt. And he was terribly afraid that his landing wouldn't be so smooth.

Groaning inwardly he pushed himself to his feet and stepped towards the basketball hoop. He gripped the ball in his hands, before shoving it through the air. Troy watched as it rolled around the rim of the hoop, as if deciding whether it should fall in. Finally it slowed and tipped off the side. The sound that it made as it landed on the concrete echoed in Troy's mind. He made no motion to pick up the ball, he just watched as it bounced up and down several times before running out of force and coming to a stop. Still he stared at the round object as if it had done a serious crime by not falling through the hoop.

Troy was about to abandon the ball and head into the house, when the sound of a car engine roared behind him. He spun on his heel and his mouth fell open in shock. The car couldn't be any more familiar if it was the back of his hand.

When its driver pushed open the door and exited the vehicle, he hesitantly stepped forward, as if a bomb would go off if he didn't step in exactly the right spot.

"Hi, Troy," Sharpay greeted, brushing a lock of her blond hair behind her ear.

At first Troy couldn't say anything. He just stared at her. The redness around her eyes showed that she had been crying a lot, and he instantly felt guilty. He had caused her the tears. And he would cause her more, he was sure of it. "Hey, Shar."

He could tell that Sharpay was trying to smile, but she just couldn't pull it off and she dropped her head slowly. Troy just couldn't take it any longer. He rushed forward and wrapped her small figure in his arms. She instantly returned the hug and he felt her shake slightly as she began to cry. He rocked her back and forth and whispered to her soothingly.

Finally Sharpay calmed and her tears stopped. She pulled back slightly, but still kept herself within the circle of his arms. "I'm so sorry, Troy," she whispered slowly, her voice barely audible.

"_You're _sorry?" Troy didn't understand why she would be the sorry one. _He _was the one leaving her behind. _He _was the one causing them both tears. And _he _was the one breaking both of their hearts.

Sharpay nodded. "Yeah. I…..I shouldn't be angry with you for leaving. I-If this is what you feel called to do, than I shouldn't be trying to stop you." She paused, letting out a shaky sigh. She tore her gaze away from his, trying to keep another flood of tears from coming. "The military will be lucky to have you."

Troy lifted one of his hands and brushed it across her cheekbone. "And I'm lucky to have you. That is, if I still do have you."

Sharpay reached up to cover his hand with hers. A small smile pulled at her lips as she said, "Troy, you'll always have me. Wherever we go, whatever we do."

Troy closed the space between them, their lips meeting slowly. The kiss was filled with longing and Troy wondered how he would be able to walk away from her the next day.

"I love you," he whispered softly, a single tear slipping from his deep blue eyes.

Sharpay used her thumb to push it away. "I know."

She slowly kissed him again and they both sensed the promise that the caress held. Their hearts would never belong to anyone else. Wherever they went, whatever they did.

* * *

**I was pretty happy with how this chapter turned out! I hope ya'll liked it too! PLEASE REVIEW!**

**Oh and what other Troypay fans LOVED the Troy/Sharpay scene right before "Everyday" in HSM 2?!? I thought it was great! Made my heart melt! LOL!**

**LanaLang79**


	6. Bittersweet Goodbye

**WOW! Sorry that it's been so long since my last update! I feel awful! I hope ya'll enjoy this chapter!**

**Enjoy!**

_**Chapter Five: Bittersweet Good-bye**_

Sharpay's eye fluttered open and she glanced over at the digital clock that rested on her bedside table. It read 4:30 am.

Sighing, she tossed the warm comforter off of her body and was greeted by the cool chill that filled the room. A shiver went down her spine and she quickly shoved her robe on.

Sharpay didn't even have to look out the window to know that it was raining. Even though, it was barely sprinkling, she could hear it. And each little raindrop pounded against the roof like the way her heart was pounding against her chest.

Today was it. She was going to have to say good-bye to Troy and hope that it wouldn't be their final good-bye.

As she went through her usual routine of getting ready, she remembered the time that she had spent with Troy the night before. He had taken her to a nice restaurant that had a spacious dance floor. And, after eating, they had danced for a long time. But, the first dance had seemed to stick in her mind. Maybe it was because the song fit there situation so well.

Sharpay had swallowed her last bite of pasta and looked up to see Troy studying her. She felt a blush creep onto her cheeks and she smiled. "What?"

Troy just shook his head, returning her smile. "Nothing." He glanced towards the dance floor and then decidedly stood up. Holding out his hand, he asked, "Sharpay Evans, may I have the pleasure of this dance?"

A soft giggle escaped her lips and she quickly slipped her hand in his and allowed herself to be pulled to the dance floor. As the slow song started, she closed her eyes and leaned into Troy's embrace.

If I see you next to never  
How can we say forever

Sharpay couldn't stop the water that was gathering in her eyes. The song described how she was feeling perfectly and it reminded her of the conversation that they had had that afternoon. _Wherever they went, whatever they did_, that's what they had said. And that's what the song was saying. She shut her eyes even tighter, hoping to stop the tears from escaping, but it didn't work, they were soon staining her cheeks.

Oh, can't you see it baby  
You've got me goin' CrAzY

Troy felt the wetness leak through his dark blue, button-up shirt and he felt his heart breaking a little more. Every time she cried, it was because of him. For a moment he found himself wondering why he had chosen to move to the other end of the country. Everything that meant the most to him, everything that he loved was here.

As he held Sharpay in his arms, he thought about all of the times that she might cry and he wouldn't be there to hold her. He wondered if she would find someone else, if their relationship would be able to survive this trial.

Oh, can't you see it baby  
You've got me goin' cRaZy

"Shar," Troy whispered as the music faded out.

Sharpay pulled her head from his chest, so that she could look at his face while he spoke. "Yeah?"

"I want you to know that I don't expect you to wait for me forever. If you find someone else while I'm away, or if……or if something happens to me, I want you to know that you should move on with your life." No matter how much it hurt to say those words, he had to say it. She deserved to have someone that would always be there for her, even if that meant he wouldn't be that someone.

Sharpay frowned and she began to shake her head almost violently. "No, Troy. First of all, I could never fall for somebody else when I feel this way about you. Never. And second, **nothing **is going to happen to you. Do you understand me? Nothing. Now, I want you to stop talking nonsense, so we can enjoy the rest of the evening."

He couldn't help, but smile at her spunk as she spat out the words, clearly annoyed at what he had told her. "Shar?"

Sharpay rolled her eyes and he knew that she was expecting to hear another "crazy" suggestion. "Yes, Troy?"

His smile widened at the tone in her voice, she could be so cute when she was annoyed.

Troy leaned down enough for his lips to make contact with her forehead and then his lips moved to her ear. "I love you," came his soft whisper.

Feeling his breath so close to her skin made Sharpay shiver and at that moment she had no doubt in her mind about her long distance relationship with Troy. She could never give him up, even if she had to go months without seeing his handsome face.

More tears slid down her cheeks, but this time they were bittersweet tears. "I love you too. And don't ever forget it."

A knock on her bathroom door brought Sharpay back to the present. Yawning, she turned the doorknob and discovered Ryan's sleepy figure. "What are you doing up this early?" she inquired, her eyebrows rising curiously.

Ryan crossed his arms and leaned against the door frame. "I'm going with you," was his matter-of-fact answer.

Sharpay shook her head quickly. "No you're not."

"Shar, if I know you like I think I do, you're going to be a wreck after Troy gets on that plane and I don't want you driving home like that." He paused for a breath and stood up straight. "Now, I'm going to go with you and that's final."

Sharpay's mouth dropped open at the firm tone in her brother's voice. He rarely told her what to do. But, before she could object again, he shut the door and she heard his footsteps disappear as he walked through her room and then into the hallway. Apparently she didn't have a choice in the matter.

* * *

As they approached the gate for Troy's flight, Ryan shook Troy's hand and then held back so that Troy and Sharpay could say their good-byes.

Sharpay felt like she was a broken dam with all of the tears that were falling from her dark eyes. She hadn't wanted to cry, not while she was trying to say good-bye, but the tears had come anyway.

Troy glanced over at his gate as they announced that they were now boarding for his flight. Turning back to Sharpay, he opened his arms and she flew into them. He ran a hand through her golden locks and gently kissed the top of her head. "I'm going to miss you so much, Shar."

Sharpay was crying so hard she could barely get her "I'll miss you too" out, but she finally managed to do so. And when she did, that was when they heard the announcement that his flight was now boarding.

Troy cupped her chin between his hands and slowly leaned down to place a soft, but deep kiss on her pale lips. "I better go," he said, hesitantly dropping his hands to his sides.

Sharpay merely nodded and they hugged one more time, before he turned and walked away. When he reached the gate, he gave a glance in her direction and then disappeared from her line of vision.

She felt her knees buckle and she was sure that she was going to fall to the floor, but then she felt her brother's arms around her shoulders, holding her up.

"It's going to be okay, Shar," he whispered reassuringly.

But, nothing could ease Sharpay's fears. A very deep and dark feeling in her gut told her that that might have been the last time she saw her boyfriend's face.

* * *

**Well?? How was it?!? Please review and tell me what you thought!!! I have the next chapter of my story The Way the Wind Blows written out in my notebook, but I've been too lazy to type it out and update it!! LOL!! I'll update it ASAP though!!**

**LanaLang79**


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